{"id":38435,"date":"2026-04-09T15:56:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T14:56:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/2026\/04\/rozhovor-s-rndr-pavlem-puncocharem-csc-pracovnikem-sekce-vodniho-hospodarstvi-ministerstva-zemedelstvi\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T20:18:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T19:18:42","slug":"interview-with-rndr-pavel-puncochar-csc-member-of-the-water-management-section-of-the-ministry-of-agriculture-of-the-czech-republic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/2026\/04\/interview-with-rndr-pavel-puncochar-csc-member-of-the-water-management-section-of-the-ministry-of-agriculture-of-the-czech-republic\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with RNDr. Pavel Pun\u010doch\u00e1\u0159, CSc., member of the Water Management Section of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Life by the\u00a0S\u00e1zava river, an enthusiasm for \u201cliving sticks\u201d and the\u00a0microworld of\u00a0aquatic organisms; twenty years devoted to science, followed by a\u00a0turning point: T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute during the\u00a0transformative 1990s, and subsequently the\u00a0Ministry of\u00a0Agriculture. In\u00a0this interview, RNDr. Pavel Pun\u010doch\u00e1\u0159, CSc. recalls the\u00a0people who shaped him, the\u00a0moments when the\u00a0very existence of\u00a0our institution was at stake, and explains, why the\u00a0public will have to learn to trust predictions and effective water management solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr Pun\u010doch\u00e1\u0159, you come from the\u00a0Bohemian\u2013Moravian Highlands and are often described as a\u00a0patriot. What has that region left in\u00a0you?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u00a0was born in\u00a0Pelh\u0159imov, but I\u00a0spent my youth in\u00a0Sv\u011btl\u00e1 nad S\u00e1zavou\u00a0\u2013 just a\u00a0few dozen metres from the\u00a0S\u00e1zava river. That shaped me profoundly for the\u00a0rest of\u00a0my life. It was a\u00a0time when the\u00a0river was so clean that people would routinely rinse and bleach their laundry there\u00a0\u2013 and I\u00a0would go there with other children to sprinkle the\u00a0linen while it was being whitened. In\u00a0later years, I\u00a0travelled every day to secondary school in\u00a0Lede\u010d nad S\u00e1zavou on the\u00a0Pos\u00e1zav\u00ed Pacific railway, running along the\u00a0river and past Stvo\u0159idla Nature Reserve. Every day, I\u00a0could see what was happening to the\u00a0river.<\/span><\/p>\n

All the\u00a0men in\u00a0our family were anglers\u00a0\u2013 my brother, my father, my grandfather\u00a0\u2013 so fishing rods and tackle were an ordinary part of\u00a0our household equipment. It was a\u00a0time when the\u00a0river still teemed with many kinds of\u00a0fish. It was a\u00a0wonderful period and, I\u00a0must say, it was precisely this that shaped my attitude towards rivers and water. When I\u00a0walk along the\u00a0S\u00e1zava today, only Stvo\u0159idla has essentially retained its original character. Everything else has changed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In\u00a0the\u00a0Berounka river, approximately 150 metres from the\u00a0author\u2019s\u00a0residence (September 2018)<\/span><\/h6>\n

When you went on to Charles University, did you already know that you wanted to work in\u00a0the\u00a0area of\u00a0water?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It began as early as grammar school. I\u00a0was fascinated by details, for example the\u00a0\u201clittle red spheres\u201d in\u00a0the\u00a0water. Later, I\u00a0came to know that they were water mites. Or caddisfly larvae, which as boys we called \u201cliving sticks\u201d\u00a0\u2013 they build their cases from pine needles and small pieces of\u00a0wood. Watching hydra on the\u00a0surface of\u00a0a\u00a0pond, those were experiences that left a\u00a0lasting impression. I\u00a0was fortunate in\u00a0my teachers as well. Our biology teacher at grammar school, Professor Louda, encouraged my interest. And at university I\u00a0encountered lots of\u00a0other people who helped to move me forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who influenced you most at the\u00a0beginning of\u00a0your career?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u00a0arrived in\u00a0Prague at the\u00a0age of\u00a0seventeen as part of\u00a0an \u201caccelerated year\u201d from the\u00a0eleven-year secondary school and, within\u00a0my first month, I\u00a0made my way to the\u00a0Department of\u00a0Hydrobiology. I\u00a0took the\u00a0assistants somewhat by surprise, because when they asked what I\u00a0wished to specialise in, I\u00a0replied without hesitation: the\u00a0self-purification process. I\u00a0explained to them that I\u00a0travelled along the\u00a0S\u00e1zava every day and that the\u00a0difference between the\u00a0stretch upstream and downstream of\u00a0Stvo\u0159idla was so striking that I\u00a0wanted to understand everything that was happening in\u00a0the\u00a0river. When they later asked which group of\u00a0organisms I\u00a0wished to focus on, I\u00a0chose water mites, which caused further surprise\u00a0\u2013 at that time there was essentially only one specialist in\u00a0water mites in\u00a0the\u00a0whole of\u00a0Czechoslovakia, Dr L\u00e1ska in\u00a0Brno. Thanks to my teachers, especially Dr Lell\u00e1k, I\u00a0succeeded in\u00a0establishing contact with him, and he then willingly introduced me to the\u00a0study of\u00a0water mites at the\u00a0microscope in\u00a0the\u00a0Brno flat of\u00a0the\u00a0L\u00e1ska family.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the\u00a0Faculty, I\u00a0was strongly influenced by Dr Jan Lell\u00e1k, Vladim\u00edr Ko\u0159\u00ednek (both later professors), and Jarka Hork\u00e1 (later Ko\u0159\u00ednkov\u00e1, who unfortunately died at a\u00a0young age). They were true enthusiasts, willing to devote an enormous amount of\u00a0time to science. Through them, I\u00a0was also able to join\u00a0the\u00a0Hydrobiological Laboratory of\u00a0the\u00a0Czechoslovak Academy of\u00a0Sciences in\u00a0the\u00a0Prague district Sm\u00edchov, where, from my fourth year onwards, I\u00a0accompanied the\u00a0laboratory staff on regular monitoring of\u00a0water quality in\u00a0reservoirs. I\u00a0wrote my diploma thesis on the\u00a0self-purification of\u00a0the\u00a0Boti\u010d between Pr\u016fhonice village and Prague. Dr. V\u011bra Stra\u0161krabov\u00e1 was a\u00a0great help to me, and above all, Associate Professor Hrb\u00e1\u010dek. They devoted their time to me, provided literature and guidance, and thanks to their support I\u00a0was able, after completing my studies, to continue seamlessly in\u00a0the\u00a0field within\u00a0their team.<\/span><\/p>\n

What did the\u00a0scientific phase give you most\u00a0\u2013 methodology, patience, the\u00a0ability to question?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Methodology, certainly, but above all patience and diligence. Repetition, minor setbacks\u00a0\u2013 one must not allow oneself to be discouraged. And, of\u00a0course, to question results means returning to matters repeatedly and verifying them. At that time, statistical methods were becoming more firmly established. I\u00a0attended courses in\u00a0order to be able to apply statistical techniques in\u00a0my work as a\u00a0hydrobiologist. Later, this enabled me not only to use statistics, but even to explain\u00a0it to colleagues and to lecture on it at seminars.<\/span><\/p>\n

You moved into managerial positions relatively early in\u00a0your career. What was the\u00a0most difficult aspect?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u00a0would not say that it was early\u00a0\u2013 I\u00a0had spent more than twenty years engaged in\u00a0scientific work in\u00a0basic research. The\u00a0turning point came at a\u00a0time when part of\u00a0the\u00a0Academy was to be relocated from Prague to \u010cesk\u00e9 Bud\u011bjovice. For me, this was both a\u00a0personal and a\u00a0family decision. We had our home in\u00a0Radot\u00edn (which is now part of\u00a0Prague), and my wife worked at the\u00a0Faculty of\u00a0Science in\u00a0the\u00a0Department of\u00a0Algology. Leaving Prague was becoming unacceptable for me. It was one of\u00a0the\u00a0most difficult decisions of\u00a0my life: to leave science and attempt to engage in\u00a0practical, applied research. I\u00a0applied for the\u00a0post of\u00a0Head of\u00a0the\u00a0Microbiological Laboratory at the\u00a0T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, and in\u00a01986 I\u00a0was accepted and took up the\u00a0position.<\/span><\/p>\n

When did you first truly acknowledge that it would no longer be \u201conly\u201d about professional work, but primarily about leading people,\u00a0<\/span>responsibility and decision-making\u00a0\u2013 and what was the\u00a0most difficult aspect of\u00a0that change for you?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

After the\u00a0political and economic changes of\u00a01989, I\u00a0applied for the\u00a0position of\u00a0Director in\u00a01990. I\u00a0was strongly encouraged to do so by many Institute employees, and in\u00a0particular by the\u00a0heads of\u00a0water management laboratories throughout the\u00a0Czech Republic, both in\u00a0the\u00a0field of\u00a0water supply and sewerage and within\u00a0the\u00a0state-owned River Basin\u00a0enterprises, who sent a\u00a0letter of\u00a0recommendation to the\u00a0then Ministry of\u00a0Forestry and Water Management. I\u00a0felt that I\u00a0had a\u00a0genuine chance of\u00a0succeeding, yet at the\u00a0same time I\u00a0was aware that I\u00a0did not know everything about water management practice. Therefore, several colleagues helped me prior to the\u00a0selection procedure, to frame the\u00a0full scope of\u00a0what water management encompasses, as my focus until then had been primarily scientific.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u00a0particularly value the\u00a0support and advice of\u00a0Ing. V\u00e1clav Zeman, which were invaluable to me not only at that time but also later on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Survey of\u00a0water mites in\u00a0Krkono\u0161e National Park, sampling at the\u00a0Mal\u00e1 \u00dapa site upstream of\u00a0its confluence with the\u00a0\u00dapa (July 2019)<\/h6>\n

What was your first day as Director of\u00a0the\u00a0Water Research Institute like?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0first day was marked by expectation and also by uncertainty. I\u00a0had worked there for three years, I\u00a0knew almost all the\u00a0employees, and many of\u00a0them expected that everything would change overnight. However, I\u00a0immediately sensed the\u00a0priorities: it was necessary to integrate the\u00a0Institute, both spatially (having six workplaces at different locations across Prague was untenable) and in\u00a0terms of\u00a0working methods, so that teams would be formed to deliver comprehensive solutions rather than everyone pursuing their own agenda. At that time, there were many outstanding experts in\u00a0individual disciplines and specialisations. The\u00a0Ministry did not stand in\u00a0the\u00a0way of\u00a0this arrangement, as it was satisfied with obtaining what it required for the\u00a0governance of\u00a0water management and left the\u00a0remainder of\u00a0the\u00a0work largely to the\u00a0discretion of\u00a0the\u00a0staff and their research reports. Yet it was precisely for this reason that specialists did not collaborate more closely on specific problems requiring multiple perspectives in\u00a0order to achieve comprehensive solutions. My three main\u00a0tasks were therefore as follows: to achieve spatial integration, to achieve professional integration, and to enhance the\u00a0Institute\u2019s\u00a0prestige through international cooperation; this was gradually and successfully developed with twelve institutes in\u00a0six European countries.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, I\u00a0was taken aback at my very first meeting at the\u00a0newly established Ministry of\u00a0the\u00a0Environment. I\u00a0did not comply when I\u00a0was advised whom I\u00a0should appoint as my deputy\u00a0\u2013 and the\u00a0\u201cpunishment\u201d came in\u00a0the\u00a0form of\u00a0a\u00a0reduction in\u00a0part of\u00a0the\u00a0Institute\u2019s\u00a0funding, which I\u00a0then had to resolve through savings. At the\u00a0same time, my superior there was Deputy Minister Benda, who was convinced that institutions of\u00a0this kind were unnecessary and that the\u00a0Institute itself was redundant. He intended to fundamentally restructure it and, in\u00a0essence, almost abolish it altogether.<\/span><\/p>\n

How did you cope with it?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0outcome was that I\u00a0said: \u201cNo, no\u00a0\u2013 I\u00a0am convinced that institutions of\u00a0this kind should be preserved. One need only look west of\u00a0us, to countries that are economically advanced and democratic.\u201d I\u00a0therefore took a\u00a0strategic step and proposed that the\u00a0matter be assessed by a\u00a0group of\u00a0respected foreign experts, preferably from the\u00a0United Kingdom. With funding from the\u00a0European Commission, a\u00a0team of\u00a0experts from England came to review the\u00a0Institute, including its branches, and subsequently produced a\u00a0report recommending that the\u00a0Ministry should not dissolve the\u00a0Institute but, on the\u00a0contrary, develop it and give it the\u00a0opportunity to generate additional income through practical projects. It was a\u00a0strategic move that saved the\u00a0Institute\u00a0\u2013 first at that moment, and later once again.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, this marked the beginning of a period in which internal integration and the \u201chard\u201d realities within the Institute also had to be addressed. Not everyone was able to accept that 620 employees was excessive and that not all were being used effectively. Reducing staff numbers was demanding and, on a human level, very unpleasant. I nevertheless tried to proceed in such a way that\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0would not appear as a\u00a0ruthless director dismissing people indiscriminately. I\u00a0studied their outputs, spoke with them, and pointed out concretely that, for example, there had been no discernible progress in\u00a0their work over a\u00a0period of\u00a0three years. It was difficult because at that moment you hold up a\u00a0mirror and show that, in\u00a0effect, they had drifted along for three years without producing meaningful results. The\u00a0reduction in\u00a0staff numbers was also influenced by the\u00a0privatisation enthusiasm of\u00a0the\u00a0time, when some employees left for the\u00a0private sector; unfortunately, most of\u00a0them were of\u00a0high quality.<\/span><\/p>\n

You mentioned Britain. How did you further develop one of\u00a0your priorities, namely international cooperation?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Cooperation with Germany was particularly important because of\u00a0the\u00a0Elbe. The\u00a0International Commission for the\u00a0Protection of\u00a0the\u00a0Elbe River was established, and I\u00a0wanted the\u00a0Institute to be involved. One of\u00a0the\u00a0most intensive partnerships after 1990 was with GKSS Geesthacht. We carried out joint monitoring and sampling, and from this emerged the\u00a0tradition of\u00a0the\u00a0Magdeburg Seminars, which continues to this day. It began almost humorously: a\u00a0colleague from GKSS, Dr Wilken, needed to catch a\u00a0train\u00a0urgently and was looking for a\u00a0taxi. I\u00a0drove him to the\u00a0main\u00a0railway station myself, and on the\u00a0way we agreed that we would turn our cooperation into regular seminars. And it has endured ever since.<\/span><\/p>\n

We were also assisted by RIZA in\u00a0the\u00a0Netherlands. I\u00a0took a\u00a0group of\u00a0senior staff there so that they could see how a\u00a0comparable institute operates. Technical support from the\u00a0Danish Hydraulic Institute was also important. At that time, they had developed a\u00a0highly regarded innovation\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0mathematical model MIKE 11. I\u00a0went to see their director, who had founded the\u00a0institute, and asked him directly whether the\u00a0TGM WRI might obtain\u00a0their widely acclaimed tool for modelling flows, floods and the\u00a0testing of\u00a0flood protection measures. After a\u00a0longer discussion, he said to me: \u201cVery well, I\u00a0will give you MIKE.\u201d When I\u00a0asked what they would expect in\u00a0return, he replied: \u201cNothing.\u201d I\u00a0still regard it as an exceptional moment\u00a0\u2013 on my part, perhaps audacity; on his, remarkable generosity.<\/span><\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Meeting of the Presidents of the International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe River on the 25th anniversary of its establishment (from left: moderator, Dr H. Wendenburg, Dr Ing. D. Ruchay, Ing. F. Pojer, Dr H. Bloech, Dr P. Pun\u010doch\u00e1\u0159 and Dr F. Holzwart)<\/span><\/h6>\n

You moved from the\u00a0Institute to the\u00a0Ministry of\u00a0Agriculture. Did the\u00a0difference surprise you?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed. It is a\u00a0different kind of\u00a0work\u00a0\u2013 preparing documentation for decision-making, dealing with legislation, and navigating internal ministerial processes. Ing. Jan Plechat\u00fd was a\u00a0great help to me; he quickly \u201ctrained\u201d me and would occasionally place something on my desk that had to be prepared urgently for the\u00a0Minister. In\u00a0that environment, one acquires rapid practical skills. At the\u00a0same time, I\u00a0realised that if one wishes to promote substantively sound measures, one must be able to communicate effectively with politicians and senior officials within\u00a0the\u00a0state administration. And I\u00a0did not always comply with the\u00a0original brief if I\u00a0was convinced that it was wrong. <\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the confrontations were hard, and in retrospect I sometimes wonder how I managed to withstand them. It remains somewhat surprising to me that no minister removed me from the post of Director General, because I consistently sought to maintain a professional standpoint \u2013 to explain what was appropriate and important for water management and the administration of water resources, and, conversely, to reject initiatives that would have been detrimental to them.<\/span><\/p>\n

You once described the\u00a0drafting of\u00a0the\u00a0new Water Act as a\u00a0milestone in\u00a0your career.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It was an entirely new Act, as the\u00a0one dating from the\u00a01970s had truly become obsolete. The\u00a0task had originally been assigned to the\u00a0Ministry of\u00a0the\u00a0Environment, but as it was unable to bring it to completion, it was ultimately entrusted to the\u00a0Ministry of\u00a0Agriculture. We began working intensively on it at the\u00a0turn of\u00a01999 and 2000.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here I\u00a0must highlight my colleague, Ing. Mirek Kr\u00e1l, who moved with me from the\u00a0TGM WRI to the\u00a0Ministry. Mr Kr\u00e1l was a\u00a0veritable repository of\u00a0knowledge in\u00a0administrative procedures and water management development. Together with other colleagues and legal experts from the\u00a0state-owned River Basin\u00a0enterprises, we gradually drafted the\u00a0individual sections of\u00a0the\u00a0Act.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you were to describe the\u00a0greatest difference between drafting a\u00a0sound legislative proposal and getting it implemented in\u00a0practice, what would it be?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

To be able to advance a well-formulated technical text politically. In this regard, I must mention the absolutely invaluable role of Ing. Karel Ture\u010dek, the then Deputy Minister of Agriculture. He essentially trained me not to be discouraged by the cries of politicians in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, but to persuade them gradually, through factual argument, that this is how it should be done, and it is the right approach.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the\u00a0same time, we were engaged in\u00a0a\u00a0fairly hard-fought struggle with the\u00a0Ministry of\u00a0the\u00a0Environment, which was trying to modify a\u00a0number of\u00a0provisions according to its own ideas, while we resisted this and sought to ensure that the\u00a0measures were technically feasible in\u00a0practice and that they would genuinely work for the\u00a0benefit of\u00a0water in\u00a0the\u00a0Czech Republic.<\/span><\/p>\n

I also remember some particularly tense moments: I attended meetings of the ministers, and I will never forget a very heated exchange of views between myself and the Minister of the Environment, Milo\u0161 Ku\u017evart, when I was admonished that I was speaking to a minister and should stop. Fortunately, we had known each other for some time, and he then said: \u201cno, we know each other and we have to talk this through\u201d, which I appreciated. In the end, the Act was passed; the main competences remained with the Ministry of Agriculture, and the competences of the other ministries were clearly defined in the Act as so-called shared competences of the central water authorities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Apart from the\u00a0construction of\u00a0new reservoirs, which three measures do you think have moved water management forward?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If we are speaking about frameworks and principles, I\u00a0consider the\u00a0following to be important: the\u00a0principle that the\u00a0polluter pays and the\u00a0user pays, the\u00a0protection zones of\u00a0water sources and their enforcement, and technical safety supervision\u00a0\u2013 its importance is now increasing even for smaller reservoirs and fishponds because of\u00a0the\u00a0risks posed by torrential rainfall and the\u00a0damage it can cause. A\u00a0major advance has also been the\u00a0development of\u00a0information systems and modelling tools.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, many things are predictable and can be traced in\u00a0databases. As for reservoirs, it has been and remains crucial to maintain\u00a0territorial protection of\u00a0sites where, in\u00a0the\u00a0future, water storage could be addressed through sufficiently large reservoir dams. A\u00a0disappointment for me is how long it takes for some projects to be implemented; for example, Nov\u00e9 He\u0159minovy flood-control reservoir. Unfortunately, it often works in\u00a0such a\u00a0way that things only start to move after major events accompanied by damage and adverse consequences that wake both politicians and the\u00a0public to the\u00a0need for decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you were to look into the\u00a0future, how do you see water management in\u00a0fifteen to twenty years?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We will have to pay much greater attention to the\u00a0consequences of\u00a0rising air temperatures and the\u00a0effect of\u00a0evapotranspiration on water resources. And we will have to prioritise the\u00a0accumulation of\u00a0surface water, despite resistance from part of\u00a0the\u00a0public. Groundwater is not being replenished sufficiently because of\u00a0the\u00a0lack of\u00a0snow and rapid runoff after intense rainfall. We have not yet succeeded in\u00a0initiating measures to strengthen groundwater storage through infiltration-based approaches. Without water, none of\u00a0this will work: quality of\u00a0life, the\u00a0economy, sustainability, the\u00a0energy industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0public should stop listening to and believing simple claims that a\u00a0change in\u00a0land management alone will solve everything. Yes, it is important, but there are situations where even with good land management, a\u00a0flood will occur because the\u00a0soil profile is already saturated, or drought will arise due to prolonged high temperatures and the\u00a0consumption of\u00a0water by vegetation. I\u00a0see the\u00a0future in\u00a0the\u00a0need to convince the\u00a0public that certain\u00a0technical measures, such as water management structures, are necessary, even if they have local impacts on municipalities or on nature. Weather conditions often contribute to this as well, for example through abrupt changes that can negatively affect local residents. Nevertheless, the\u00a0present abundance of\u00a0water generally leads the\u00a0public to forget very quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sampling of water mites in Lake Ohrid in Albania (July 2023)<\/h6>\n

If you were standing in front of first-year water management students, what would you say to them?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are in\u00a0the\u00a0right place, because life on Earth without water is not possible.\u201d I\u00a0would recommend that they read the\u00a0European Water Charter of\u00a01968. And I\u00a0would also tell them that water is a\u00a0most faithful companion \u201cmost faithful mistress\u201d\u00a0\u2013 it gives great satisfaction when you succeed in\u00a0improving it or increasing its reserves. However, it requires diligence, perseverance, and interdisciplinary knowledge. And do not rely blindly on modern information technologies: if a\u00a0blackout occurs and everything fails, it will be you who must make decisions and manage with what you know.<\/p>\n

What does your ideal day outside work look like?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When the\u00a0time off lasts longer than three or four days, I\u00a0become uneasy that I\u00a0am neglecting something. An ideal day: I\u00a0get up, make coffee, and go through the\u00a0news on water management and the\u00a0status of\u00a0rivers. I\u00a0follow this reporting every day and have it on my mobile phone as well. Then I\u00a0would go fishing, perhaps to the\u00a0Berounka or the\u00a0beloved S\u00e1zava. To sit and gaze, recall memories, and do a\u00a0little fishing. And if it were a\u00a0longer break, I\u00a0would go into the\u00a0field: I\u00a0would like to add to my collections and surveys of\u00a0water mites in\u00a0\u0160umava Mountains. In\u00a0my home laboratory, the\u00a0collected samples will wait. I\u00a0think ahead: when one day I\u00a0am no longer able to go out into the\u00a0field, I\u00a0want to have the\u00a0material and devote myself to it in\u00a0peace.<\/p>\n

If I\u00a0may, a\u00a0few quick points to conclude:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

For me, water represents<\/strong>: the\u00a0natural source that has captivated me.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0greatest professional lesson<\/strong>: leaving research work and not going to\u00a0\u010cesk\u00e9 Bud\u011bjovice to pursue a\u00a0career in\u00a0science.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0most difficult decision in\u00a0my career<\/strong>: probably the\u00a0same as\u00a0the\u00a0greatest professional lesson, because I\u00a0moved from basic research to\u00a0applied research and subsequently into public administration.<\/p>\n

One thing I\u00a0wish the\u00a0public understood about water<\/strong>: that without water it is not possible to live, and that water resources must be safeguarded through water management and technical measures, not only by expecting nature-based measures to ensure them.<\/p>\n

If I\u00a0had not devoted myself to water, I\u00a0would have been<\/strong>: perhaps a\u00a0physician\u00a0\u2013 that would also have attracted me a\u00a0great deal. Paradoxically, my family tried to dissuade me from it; when I\u00a0was living in\u00a0the\u00a0student hostel with medical students, I\u00a0thought to myself: \u201cAnthropology seems really easy, I\u00a0would certainly enjoy that!\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Pun\u010doch\u00e1\u0159, thank you for the\u00a0interview.<\/em><\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

RNDr. Pavel Pun\u010doch\u00e1\u0159, CSc.<\/span><\/h3>\n

RNDr. Pavel Pun\u010doch\u00e1\u0159, CSc., was born on 20 March 1944 in Pelh\u0159imov. He graduated from the Faculty of Science of Charles University in Prague, where he was awarded the degree of RNDr. in 1969, and subsequently obtained the degree of CSc. at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (CAS). He specialised in hydrobiology and water microbiology at the Hydrobiological Laboratory of the CAS (1965\u20131984), at the Institute of Landscape Ecology (1985\u20131986), and, from 1986 onwards, at the Water Research Institute, where he was appointed Director (1990\u20131997). Since 1998 he has been employed at the Ministry of Agriculture, initially as Director of the Department of Water Policy and subsequently as Director General of the Water Management Section. He is also a member of the Senate\u2019s Standing Commission WATER\u2013DROUGHT
\nand, for fourteen years, served as the \u201cWater Director of the Czech Republic\u201d in negotiations with the European Commission. He has published more than 350 professional papers in the Czech Republic and abroad. He lectures at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague and also teaches at the Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters of the University of South Bohemia in \u010cesk\u00e9 Bud\u011bjovice. His personal interests include angling and research on water mites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Life by the S\u00e1zava river, an enthusiasm for \u201cliving sticks\u201d and the microworld of aquatic organisms; twenty years devoted to science, followed by a turning point: T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute during the transformative 1990s, and subsequently the Ministry of Agriculture. In this interview, RNDr. Pavel Pun\u010doch\u00e1\u0159, CSc. recalls the people who shaped him, the moments when the very existence of our institution was at stake, and explains, why the public will have to learn to trust predictions and effective water management solutions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":38556,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[94,2,86,87,93],"tags":[3429,1299,1712,120,4050,4071],"coauthors":[1742],"class_list":["post-38435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-issue","category-from-the-world-of-water-management","category-hydraulics-hydrology-and-hydrogeology","category-hydrochemistry-radioecology-microbiology","category-two-articles","tag-director-of-the-tgm-wri","tag-hydrobiology","tag-international-cooperation","tag-interview","tag-vodule","tag-water-management-section-of-the-ministry-of-agriculture-of-the-czech-republic"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38435"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38435\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38438,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38435\/revisions\/38438"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38435"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtei.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=38435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}